Metal sheet-piling.



APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES:

PATENT OFFICE.

Farm: w. SKINNER, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

METAL SHEET-FILING;

Specification of-Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1907.

Application filed August 3,1906. Swarm-272,466

- To all whom it may concem: Y .Be it known that I, FRANK W. SKINNER,.a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the borough of Richmond, city of New York, State of'New .York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Sheet-Piling, of which the following is a specification. 1 I This invention relates to improvements in metal I sheet piling and similar structures for use in underpincore walls,

ning, retaining walls, foundations, coffer dams, cut offs,

tunneling shaft sinking .and general construction. 1

It to provide structural units or sections, which can be easily driven and connected with each other by water tight joints, and is adapted equally to separate piles and to sheet and the various special and general constructions above mentioned.

It is designed to secure the simplest, most economical and efiicient construction, and to be made from commercial materials, to provide tight and reliable joints, and tobe suited to all the purpos'esand conditions which arise in ordinary practiceand require various qualities in the piling. In the simplest type I use a fiat plate with a water-tight spring lock joint ofsimple construction riveted to one or to both edges of each pile. When edges of the pile are provided with the spring lock joint, Lother sheet piles will be provided with suitable deviiz es to interlocktherewith, and when the spring- -lock is provided at one edge of the pile the other edge thereof will he formed to interlock with the'lock of the adjacent section of piling. This joint especially utilizes the spring principle of both bent and straight V which has not sufiicient rigidity to endure unaided, provide a temporary driving backing which is removable after it has driven the sheet pile to position. When it isnecessary to provide increased thickness to the sheetpile, 'or to give it lateral stiffness, I make it in the first instance of two pieces of bent or curved plates riveted together and with their separated'ver- .tical edges curved to form an adjustable spring lock joint, somewhat like a ball and socket joint.

To increase the stiffness of single plate piles I give them a curved or bent cross sectionfand 1 utilize the United States Patent Oflice November 25, 1905, Ser.

'No'. 289,050, difie'ring the joint from the ordinary lap well known, by adding a second thickness of the metal riveted on with or without a filler to make a pair of jaws or female part to receive the other part, and also provide concrete, clay or other filling for the joints and hollow spaces, or leave them empty as conditions may require, and either form the lower ends of the open hollow spaces to exclude the earth when driving, or provide closures for them, as may be preferred in any case. The spring lock joint is applicable to a variety of constructions as well as to piling, and constitutes a very useful feature of the invention, for it provides means of connecting members of various constructions together with Water-tight joints, which allow of considerable deflection of the members, whereby they may be carried around curves, in zigzag lines and in any required direction, without diminishing the efficiency of the joints.

Among other important advantages of the invention therefore are that it provides firm water-tight locks between the several sections or units of the piling, that it permits of the use of commercial corrugated sheet steel for the sections, that it provides simple means for excluding the earth from the locks and hollow spaces of the piles when necessary, provides simple devices for opening the locks to engage with the next section of piling, provides for stiffening or reinforcing the sheet piling so that it can be driven whenever such stiffening or reinforcement is necessary, and for removing the reinforcement after the sheet has been driven down.

Other important advantages will be apparent from the description of the invention hereinafter given.

Referring to the drawings which accompany the specification to aid the description, Figurel is a plan of a unit of straight sheet piling with one form of single spring. lock, termed a single spring cement lock, and Fig. 2' isa perspective view of two similar sections partly interlocked. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of a form of double spring lock, and Fig. 4 a section of the interlocking end of the next sheet. This lock is termed the double friction spring lock. Fig. 5 is' a perspective view of a wedge for opening the lock of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a perspective of plug for the lock of Fig. 1 and 2. Fig. 7 is a plan of a straight sheet equipped with the lock of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a'perspective view of a unit of piling with removable reinforcing back. Fig. 9 is a top view of a modification of the lock of Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a plan view of a section. of. sheet piling provided with a driving backing having cover plates to facilitate withdrawing the backing after the piling is driven.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 6, a sheet of steel or other suitable material of desired thickness, is provided by application rolling or otherwise with curved longitudinal edges; 2, which are usually liut "not necessarily the vertical edges, one of which is adapted to interlock with a lock on the adjacent edge of the next unit, orsection, of

the piling and the other is spanned by a long narrow flat plate 4 riveted to sheet 1 as shown, and preferably having a projecting edge 5. The bottom of the lock may be closed by ashouldered plug 7, 8 to prevent.

earth from entering the interior of thelockQ The sheet 1 may have the spring looks at both ends, and other sheets or sections maybe provided with devices to engage said locks, and the sheet pile may originally he formed as a plain flat sheet, as 80 Fig. 9, and both members 81, 82 of the spring lock jdint may be riveted on asindicated-in that I Whenthe plate is stiff enough to drive without backing one section will be driven in the usual manner, a removable block 10, which is provided with a giooved under side to fit the sheet pile, being placed on the pile during the Then the upper end of the lock will be sprung open by any suitable tool, the curved edge-2, of the next section inserted therein and the said next section then driven hom'e, thebot tom of its lock being protected by a as was; the lock of the first sectionjandithus, section by section, the piling is interlocked and driven. Finally' the interior spaces of the locks may or may not be filled with 'cement, grout, clay or any other suitable material to make theni'water tight or not, as desired Qbviously, this operation may be'modified by driving the piles with the male or interlocking partoithe 'joint ontlfe advance edge, so that doubleija w or female shall be on the section next driven, and in thatf case this section wouldbe driven without the protecting bottom plug,' and would. be likely to"beconie.filled with earth etc. as the piece is driven." I i I When a sheet, as 1 4 Fig.'8+) is too thin to drive without reinforcement provide removable backing as follows: The lower edge of said sheet is bent around upward as at 17. Then .a block 15 of st eelfor other mien-a1, "with its lowe an preferably harn fere'd as at18, is a e into said ph 'ed h f' hd at the bettomand' bolted to sheet 14 at theltop, and the ivhble driven. The top of block 15 is then unbolted from sheet 1 t and the pulled havingbeen first 'greased to permit it to come the more easily; A' 'no'ther section provided with, a removable backing vided with cover plates a's 83, 83 on any orall of the sides not covered bythe sheet pile to reduce there. 'sistance to withdrawing it as indicated in Fig. '10.

Obviously different cross sections be given to the backing to conform to curved or bent' piles and to increase its own stiffness, the simplest form only is here shown, but the use of the backing in any form is claimed. The backing may be left position and not withdrawn until after the adjacent. pile is driven. I do not however herein specifically claim the driving backing, since the same is claimed my next sheet. Said lock is composed of two similarly curved plates 22, 23, riveted or otherwise secured to sheet 1, so as to lie in substantial contact with each other, as indicated Figl 7. One member of the lock may be "integral with the sheet 1 as indicated in the drawings. Sucha section of piling may be re iniorcedas are the sections showri in Fig. 8 and 10,

or :if stiff enough may be driven without reinforcing.

As the said plates 22 23 lie in contact no plug isneeded to keep the earth ol t of the lock. When one section ofpiling ha s been driven, a cu rved wedge 26, which fits between said plates 22, 23, is drivenin the top of the lo ck to open it;the curved: edge 2Qof the next section therrinserted; and said next section then driven, either with or withgut a reinforcing backing according to its stiffness. Asfsaid next seetion is driven down; it forces the wedge 26 beiore it, and finally out of the bottom of the: lock the earth. The plates 22, 23 lying lIl close contact with the ar 20 or the interlocked section of piling make a water tight joint .without cement or other fillings, With this joint, the

opening of "the"1ock n1ay b'eiiacilitated by omitting rivets! at the upper oi the lock, and the-wedge ma then bejdispensed w th. H

t 1 be 'evi e'n as i h y c .i sc fi that the several features of invention can be modi; fled in details, and that the locks mayibe cons id s s is rw yl Wfi slli" s ing the invention. Thus tor eirample the single spring 'einent lock of Fig l fl mayiflbe constructed I v applyingto one: edge oi sheet oisteel 8O,"( Fig. '9), amarrowsuitable curved S Lto form edge ohthe sheetia corresponding strip 82, at such I position said sheet and close th locki Said lock isthe equivalent of that shown in Eig l and the sheet is used in a"similarmanner.

l l o w. having described my improvements '1 asnfy invention. A, i

, 1. A joint -.for connecting .adjacentrsectlons of a. structure, consisting of mutuaily engaging curved strips and a the interlocking tongue, and apply1ngito the other substantially flat locking stripof resilient, material, sub- 2 stantially as described.

3. A memberpr a lock forpillng comprising a fiatweb adapted to be secured to'a section of piling and an integral curved portion adapted to engage with the lock of an adjacentse'c'tion of piling, substantially as described;

4.111 metal sheet; piling, the combination-of units each composed of a flat member provided with marginalcorrugation's, one of s'aid corrugations being nearly closed by the said flat member and cooperating therewith'to lock the sa id units together. a

5. in metal sheet piling,ithe-combination of.units each composed of a flat n embenarrangedwlth marginal corrugations; one of said corrugations forming with the said gether.

6. In metal sheet piling, the combination of units each composed ot'a corrugation section having one of its corrugntions nearly closed by a tongue and cooperating there with to lock the said units together.

7. In metal sheet piling, the combination of units each composed ot -a flat member, longitudinal corrugations at the sides thereof, one ofsaid corrugations being of greater 10 radius than the other, a tongue at the base of the larger corrugation-co6perating therewith to lock the said units together.

Signed at New York this 1 st day of August 1905.

FRANK W. SKINNER. Witnesses:

HENRY V. BROWN, HENRY H. DnvAs. 

